Are MS Office Certifications Worth It?

Getting a technology certification can be a somewhat large undertaking depending on the technical difficulty of the subject. Some choose to earn a certification even before finishing their degree since they are already in the routine of learning and studying. However, others choose to wait and obtain some real world experience before going for a certification.

Whenever you choose to invest in obtaining a technical certification, you should evaluate all of the criteria at hand in order to make an informed decision. Let’s look at some of the pros and cons and discover if MS Office Certifications are worth it.

CONS

Most likely the largest obstacles to obtaining a certification are the time and money you will invest. There are the costs of training materials and/or classes and the testing fees, which can be prohibitive for some. You will also invest a large amount of time training and studying so that you can pass the certification test. Several tools are included in the Microsoft Office suite, so the training to master all of these tools can be quite intensive.

Certifications are not usually required by most employers. They might be looked upon as favorable, depending on the employer, but are not usually a requirement of employment.

Some certifications have a limited shelf life and require you to retest in the future to maintain your certification. So, this could be an ongoing commitment and you have to decide if it’s of great benefit to you.

Certifications are usually not as valuable on a resume as a long list of real world experience and achievements. Someone that has been working longer and has a longer list of pertinent experience and achievements might still be more attractive to certain employers. It can greatly depend on the philosophy of the hiring agent.

A certification does not guarantee that you will magically find a position. It will help, but it is up to you to demonstrate that you are a qualified applicant. If you can effectively communicate to a hiring agent how your certification has aided you in the pursuit of your career, then it might mean more on your resume.

PROS

Having a certification will make you stand out from an applicant pool where the other applicants don’t have one. It will also let the employer know that you can finish a difficult objective and see it through to the end. It will give them the impression that you are motivated and ambitious, which are valued attributes by any employer.

Some employers will pay for your training and certification because it is valuable to them. If this is the case, most of them will often reward you with a pay increase or promotion for obtaining the certification. Some companies are Microsoft Certified Partners and must maintain a specified number of certification holders on staff to preserve their Microsoft partnership. This affords them discounts and support for Microsoft technology, so you are providing a direct benefit to them by holding and maintaining your certification.

Microsoft Office is the leading office management software on the planet. Businesses all over the world are heavily invested in Microsoft technology. An Office certification shows them that you have mastered this important technology to some degree of proficiency. They know that you will be able to hit the ground running in their organization without requiring a large volume of training on the tools they use to conduct their business.

Microsoft certifications are easier to verify than some other third-party certifications. This helps employers quickly determine that you are who you say you are and that you have represented yourself accurately.

Microsoft Office Certifications carry more prestige than some other third-party certifications because the training, time and money required to obtain one is greater. You invest more, but it pays greater dividends in the future than other less popular certifications

It’s up to you to decide if the pros of obtaining a Microsoft Office Certification outweigh the cons. If you plan on spending your career in any type of business setting, there is no way that it could hurt you. Most businesses across the world use Microsoft Office in their day to day operations. Having the certification lets them know that you are familiar with these important tools. It’s up to you to decide if it’s worth the investment. Review the above list of pros and cons and ask yourself the question, “Are MS Office Certifications Worth it?”.

If you do decide that it is worth the time and money, then the best way to pass the certification test the first time is to obtain training. ONLC provides specialized training for the Microsoft Office Certification. You can obtain the training online or you can schedule a training class at any of their our 300+ nationwide locations. Taking the training at one of their our classroom locations is especially a good idea if you don’t possess the resources required to take the training, such as an updated computer connected to the Internet. It’s also a good idea if you can’t avoid interruptions at your location. Getting out of the office or away from home can help to minimize distractions.